Lifting hook for heavy containers



D. L. HARKER LIFTING HOOK FOR HEAVY CONTAINERS Aug. 9,1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 8, 1946 D.L.HARKER 1949- v D. L. HARKER 1 2,478,192

LIFTING HOOK FOR HEAVY CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 3, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v gig. 2.

3a 22 34 32 l7 20A 30 H L.'..! m

ffi 3s 38 grwwvbo't I D.L.HARKER Patented Aug. 9, 1949 LIFTING HOOK FOR HEAVY CONTAINERS David L. Harker, Madison, Wis., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture Application January 8, 1946, Serial No. 639,875

4 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended by the act of April 30, 1928, and the invention herein described and claimed, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to lifting devices and is more particularly concerned with one having an elongated lifting member provided at one end with means such as a hook for detachable securement to a hoisting element such as a rope, cable, chain, and so forth, and adapted to be attached to containers, such as boxes, crates, and the like, to facilitate lifting such containers.

An object of this invention is the provision of such a device in which the lifting members can be permanently attached to the container, but which can be retracted beyond the surface of the container when not in use, thereby permitting the stacking and storage of such containers close to each other without the usual space between them and without interference by the lifting members in any way. A saving in space is thus accomplished in shipping and storing containers that have lifting members permanently attached to them.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description, considered together with the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a box having the lifting devices attached to the corners thereof with the elongated lifting members in a retracted position.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of one of the lifting devices apart from the container with the lifting member in operative position.

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Figure 4.

Figure 4 is a section along the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring with more particularity to the drawing, in which like numerals designate like parts, the embodiment illustrated comprises a frame I I mortised in a portion of the container and having a bottom I2 and side walls I3, I4, I5 and IS. The height of these walls is, preferably, not less than the thickness of the elongated lifting member 22. The frame II is adapted to be mortised in the top of the container I! at a corner thereof, as shown in the drawing, or at any other suitable place. outwardly extending flanges I8 and I9 having holes 20 are provided to secure the frame II in position with nails 20A or other suitable means, such as rivets, bolts, screws, and so forth.

Near one end of the frame II, a section 2I of the bottom I2 is sunk to fit the terminal of the lifting member opposite the end having the hook. This terminal is in the form of a hollow hemisphere, thus providing curved inner and outer surfaces, and has an elongated slot 23 through a wall of the terminal and extending longitudinally of the lifting member. The lifting member is secured in position by means of a special type bolt 21. This bolt has a shoulder 25 near its head 7 which engages a washer 26 just under the sunk section 2|, the washer resting on a structural member of the box, such as the edge member 21. An aperture 28 through the bottom of the section 2I permits this engagement. The section 29 of the bolt between the head 30, which head is larger in diameter than the width of the slot 23, and the shoulder 25 is greater in length than the thickness of the wall of the terminal and fits loosely in the slot to permit freedom of movement of the lifting member relative to the bolt within the limits afforded by the slot. The lower part 3| of the bolt head has a convex contour to fit the curved inner surface of the terminal and permit a firm engagement with the terminal. The top of the bolt head is provided with a screw driver slot 32 or other suitable tool-engageable recess. In practice, it has been found desirable for the slot 23 to be bounded on all sides by the material of the terminal and to be of a length such that the lifting member in use assumes a position having a component longitudinal of the bolt or normal to the bottom I2 of the frame, so that the end of the slot remote from the means for detachable securement to a hoisting element engages the bolt under the head in this position to form a stop against further movement of the lifting member. A position of the lifting member making an angle of about with the bottom of the frame, substantially as shown in Figure 2,

r is preferred.

When the lifting member is not is use, it lies fiat on the bottom I 2 and is held in this position by an inwardly extending lip 33 integral with the frame II and extending over the lifting member. It is held in this position by a locking device comprising a Z strip 34 pivoted at one end by a rivet 35, or other suitable means, to the frame so that it can be turned in a position to prevent the lifting member from moving out from under the lip 33 (Fig. 1).

Since the lifting force on the lifting member is carried directly by the bolt 24, it is necessary to secure it to the container firmly, especially where the contents of the container are heavy. The method of accomplishing this will vary with different types of containers. A satisfactory method, however,'which may be used for many types of containers is illustrated in the drawing and comprises an angle member 36, one leg of which is secured vertically toacorner'post 3'I by means of one or more bolts 38. The lifting bolt 24 projecting through the edge member '27 'is secured in position by means of a nut"39. The bolt 2 however, extends beyond the nut 39 through the horizontal leg Ml ofwthemember 36 and is fixed to it by means of another nut- 4 i substantially as shown. By these means, the lifting force on the bolt 24 is distributed at the corner of the container in such a manner as to avoid stresses which might damage the container.

Having'thus described my invention, I claim:

1. 'An'elongated lifting member having means at one end for detachable securement to a hoisting'element; the other end of the member having a terminal provided with a curved inner surface and an elongated slot'through the wall thereof extending longitudinally of the lifting member, said slot being bounded on the end remote from the means for detachable securement to the hoisting element by the material of'the terminal, and

means for securing said lifting member to a container, said means including a bolt for fitting in the slot and mounting to the container, said bolt having a head of'larger diameter than the width of the slot, the section of the bolt below the head a fitting loosely in the slot, thus to provide for freedom of movement of the terminal relative to the bolt, whereby the elongated lifting member when secured to the container may be moved relative to the bolt from a position normal thereto to a position having a component longitudinal thereto, the end of the slot'bounded by the material of the terminal engaging the bolt in the lattermentioned position of the elongated lifting member,'thus to form a stop against further movement or the lifting member.

"2. A lifting device comprising an elongated lifting member having means at one end thereof for detachable securement to a hoisting element, a frame having a bottom and side walls for inorterial of the terminal, a bolt for securing the lifting member to the container and fitting in the slot andapertura'said'bolt having a head of larger idiameterthan the width of the slot, the section of the bolt below the head fitting loosely in the slot, thus to:provide for freedom of movement of the *term-inal relative to the bolt, whereby the elongated lifting member when secured to the container may be moved relative to the bolt from a position flat against the-bottom of the frame to a position having a component normal thereto, the end of the slot remote from the means for detachable secureme'nt to the hoisting element engaging the bolt in the latter mentioned position of'the elongated liftingmember, thus to form a stop against further movement of the lifting member.

"3. The lifting device as defined in claim 2 characterized in that the frame is provided with a meansf or temporarily securing the elongated lifting member in position 'flat against the bottom of the frame.

4. The lifting device as defined in claim'3 characterized in that the means includes a lip secured to the frame and extending over the elongated lifting member when in its position'flat against the bottom, and an arm pivoted-to the 'frame for holding the elongate'dlifting member under the lip.

DAVID L. HARKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following "referencesare of record in the file of .thisp'atent:

-UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 277,398 Wise 'May'8,l-883 527,191 Bannister Oct. 9, 1894 

